Taseer criticises Shabaz over Lahore attack accusations
LAHORE: Castigating Shahbaz Sharif for accusing his government of security lapse which allowed attack on the Sri Lankan team, Governor Salmaan Taseer on Thursday announced finalisation of the report of the high-level inquiry into the incident on Friday.
Speaking at a news conference here at his secretariat, the governor also condemned television anchors and politicians who he said were acting like self-styled security experts and suggesting government’s failure in providing security to the Sri Lankan team.
The governor accused Mr Sharif for keeping secret the CID report indicating the possibility of Indian agency RAW’s sponsored attack on the Sri Lankan team from the new government and then brandishing it to blame the present regime for its failure to protect the players.
‘Shahbaz Sharif and the so-called security experts are singing to the tune of people like ICC match referee Chris Broad and Indian politicians who are using the incident to defame Pakistan,’ the governor alleged.
The governor said the report of the high-level committee would be made public telling the nation every aspect of it.
Avoiding a question on the arrest of the culprits or who was behind them, he said the security agencies had found valuable evidence. ‘We have made arrests and recovered weapons and other items but I don’t want to reveal anything more right now,’ he said.
He said the inquiry report would also reveal security lapses. If there was any negligence it could have been at the lower level, he said.
The governor said the CID letter was sent to the government on January 22 and Mr Shahbaz Sharif was disqualified on February 25. The new government under him did not receive this letter or a new one.
‘Neither Mr Sharif nor his chief secretary informed me or the new administration about the presence of the CID letter so that we could prepare for any eventuality. They knew about the letter and we did not. And if they knew about it why didn’t they informed us,’ he asked.
Refuting the opposition claim that the incident took place because of reshuffle in police and the administration, the governor said he did not change the Additional IG CID, Home secretary and the Lahore commissioners and the DCO for continuity of the law and order policy.
The previous PML-N government had constituted a committee on January 24 and recommended a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the one-day matches with Sri Lanka. The same SOP was adopted for the Test series started on March 1. ‘You cannot change the SOPs with the change in government,’ he said, showing copies of the security plan for the series to reporters.
He regretted that Shahbaz Sharif used the attack to tarnish the image of the government. ‘We did not change any officer but Mr Nawaz Sharif asked the administration to refuse our instructions, provoking them for civil obedience. They did it after their disqualification whereas President Zardari pleaded for the security of Pakistan after the assassination of Ms Bhutto,’ he said, alleging that Mr Sharif announced open revolt.
Taking exception to CCTV footage showing the terrorists fleeing without any fear he said the police escort were there to protect the team and not to hunt them (the terrorists) down. ‘We are decorating the dead and the injured tomorrow,’ he said, adding the terrorists were a small army whom the police repelled.
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